Written Answers Tuesday 8 January 2008

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the conclusions are of its review of the Air Discount Scheme.

Stewart Stevenson: I am pleased to announce today that, following our review, the Scottish Government will now seek the agreement of the European Commission for continuation of the Air Discount Scheme (ADS) from 1 April 2008 for another three years at the existing discount rate.

  The ADS gives residents of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, Islay, Jura, Caithness and North West Sutherland a 40% discount on the price of core air fares.

  An analysis conducted on our behalf by Halcrow shows that there have been significant increases in patronage on some ADS-related services, and significant increases in the frequency and capacity of these services since the launch of the scheme in May 2006. The analysis has also identified large reductions in average journey times for ADS members, as well as broad satisfaction with the scheme’s administration. From the analysis it is clear that the scheme has performed very effectively and ministers have concluded that it should continue.

  Halcrow’s analysis accords with our own statistical and other evidence built up since May 2006. ADS membership levels are in general very high and well over 200,000 discounted tickets have been purchased since the scheme began. Over the next three years, we believe that the scheme will make further progress and that increasing numbers of residents in the Highlands and Islands will benefit. We will continue to monitor the ADS’s performance during that time to ensure that the scheme continues to fulfil its key aims.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it agrees that no local authority need achieve progress against each indicator and target in its single outcome agreement (SOA) or achieve progress against all the agreed outcomes in its SOA if it is able to demonstrate any progress or movement towards the indicators and targets specified in the SOA.

John Swinney: Single outcome agreements will stipulate the progress which each council will be expected to achieve against the relevant indicators. Councils will be accountable for how they perform against each of these indicators.

  The expected level of progress will be agreed between each council and the Scottish Government. This means that specific measures of progress can be set to reflect local priorities and local circumstances, as well as our need to ensure that the Scotland-wide outcomes set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 are achieved.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what is meant by "significant progress" in relation to maintaining teacher numbers.

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what is meant by "significant progress" in relation to maintaining teacher numbers in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Maureen Watt: "Significant progress" in that section of the concordat does not relate to maintaining teacher numbers. It relates to the policy of Scottish Government and local government to improve the learning experience for children and young people by improving the fabric of schools and nurseries; developing and delivering a Curriculum for Excellence, and as quickly as possible, reducing class sizes in P1 to P3 to a maximum of 18 and improving early years provision with access to a teacher for every pre-school child.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it will accept variations in class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 between local authorities across Scotland and, if so, whether there is any limit in the variations that it will accept and how it will monitor such variations.

Maureen Watt: We expect local government to make year on year progress in reducing primary 1 to primary 3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils. There will be different rates of progress according to local circumstances. We will enter into an agreement with every authority which agrees to the concordat that will set out the progress we agree that authorities can make. Class size data is collected at individual school level annually through the school census. Scotland currently already has variations in class sizes in primary 1 to primary 3 between local authorities across Scotland.

Local Government Concordat

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether the expectation that local government will show year-on-year progress toward delivery of class size reductions applies to each individual local authority or to local government as a whole.

Maureen Watt: It applies to local government as a whole. Although the pace and scale of progress will vary between local authorities, we expect every local authority to use their best endeavours to reduce class sizes as quickly as possible.

Local Government Finance

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the study into the funding distribution for the City of Edinburgh Council will examine funding for Lothian and Borders Police.

John Swinney: The additional funding awarded to Lothian and Borders Police to meet the pressures of policing the capital city will be taken into account in assessing the case for additional funding for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Local Government Finance

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what stakeholders it intends to consult as part of the study into the funding distribution for the City of Edinburgh Council.

John Swinney: Discussions are taking place with the City of Edinburgh Council about the terms of the study. At this stage, it is too early to say what those terms will be.

Local Government Finance

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when the study on a new funding distribution for the City of Edinburgh Council will begin.

John Swinney: Discussions are taking place with the City of Edinburgh Council about the terms of the study. At this stage, it is too early to say when exactly the work of the study will begin.

Local Government Finance

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what reporting and monitoring measures it will put in place in respect of local authority-controlled grants that were previously ring-fenced.

John Swinney: The bureaucracy and central monitoring associated with the grants that are to be rolled up into the local government finance settlement with effect from 2008-09 will be removed. In its place, progress and achievements towards the national outcomes and commitments will be monitored in accordance with the reporting and oversight arrangements as set out in the concordat.

Local Government Finance

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings will result in 2008-09 from reduced bureaucracy associated with the reporting and monitoring of local authority grants that were previously ring-fenced.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government expects substantial benefits will flow to local authorities following its decision to substantially reduce the bureaucracy and central monitoring associated with former ring-fenced funding streams. No targets have been set for the savings that will accrue, but any efficiencies that are released will be available to local authorities to invest in front line service provision.

Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006

Christopher Harvie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take forward its commitment to publishing a revised National Planning Framework in accordance with the requirements of the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006.

John Swinney: I am pleased to announce the launch today of the National Planning Framework – Discussion Draft. The draft framework sets out what we believe is an ambitious agenda for shaping Scotland’s long-term development. It has a critical contribution to make to our overall purpose of creating a more successful country. Discussion events will be held over the next 14 weeks in each of the following cities: in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. We will seek to use these events to build consensus around a strategy for Scotland’s spatial development. Copies of the draft framework will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 44303). The draft framework, the Strategic Environmental Assessment report and further information can also be viewed online at www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/planning/national-planning .

Scottish Government Efficiency Savings

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will report on its progress in meeting its target of 2% efficiency savings over the next three years.

John Swinney: We will publish an Efficiency Outturn Report in the autumn every year which will give details on the level of savings we have delivered each year against our target of 2%.

Scottish Government Expenditure

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent staff were involved in the reporting and monitoring of grants that will no longer be ring-fenced in each of the last three years.

John Swinney: This information is not held centrally but the number of staff employed in the delivery of particular objectives and functions is kept under continuous review. The Scottish Government wants to achieve a simpler, more effective public sector for Scotland, which is good for Scotland’s competitiveness and overall economic performance. There will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of structural changes proposed.

  Where any change has an impact on job roles the Scottish Government will meet its statutory and contractual requirements and will consult as required with the Council of Scottish Executive Unions and staff.

Single Outcome Agreements

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held with organisations representing women regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with organisations representing women regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held with organisations representing people with disabilities regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with organisations representing people with disabilities regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held with organisations representing elderly people regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with organisations representing elderly people regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have been held with community-based organisations regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings are planned with community-based organisations regarding the process of establishing single outcome agreements.

John Swinney: Policy teams within the Scottish Government routinely meet with such organisations so that their interests can be represented in the development of national policy and priorities. I would expect these discussions will have a significant impact on the formulation of single outcome agreements between the Scottish Government and local authorities.

  I would also expect each local authority to continue its duty to engage with such organisations and community bodies as it thinks fit when setting priorities and planning services as part of the new arrangements.